Update on Moldova Church records
In November 2025, a FamilySearch community moderator confirmed that the restriction was caused by recent legislation changes in Moldova, and that access would likely be restored within 'a couple of months.' It is now May 2026 and the following collections remain inaccessible for online viewing:
- Moldova, Church Books, 1811–1936 (Collection 1943763)
- Moldova, Poll Tax Census and Revision Lists, 1796–1917 (Collection 1985804)
A few records are still available, but the majority of them are not, which has frustrated me and fellow genealogists.
I have several specific questions:
1. What is the current status of the agreement or negotiations between FamilySearch and the National Archives Agency of Moldova (ANRM)?
2. Is there an expected timeline for when online access will be restored?
3. Has the agreement between FamilySearch and ANRM changed permanently, or is this a temporary technical/legal issue?
4. If the records are not returning to free online access, does FamilySearch have plans to make them available through another arrangement?
5. Are these records currently accessible at local Family History Centers even while restricted online?
I have been researching Gagauz, Bulgarian, and Ukrainian ancestors from the Budjak region of Bessarabia for over five years. This restriction has completely blocked access to records I depend on for my research, and thousands of other researchers are in the same situation.
Any transparency you can provide about what is happening and what the path forward looks like would be greatly appreciated.
Answers
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Thank you for your candid feedback and I do want to make sure we're working from accurate information.
Looking back at the November 2025 community discussion, the comment suggesting access would likely be restored within a couple of months came from a fellow patron who mentioned she had been told this while working with Lists at the National Archives — it was not an official statement from our team. A community moderator did reference recent legislative changes in Moldova as a possible cause, but that was not based on verified information.
Here is what we do know: our Rights Management team is actively investigating why restrictions on these records are inconsistent. We've identified cases where one film in a Book Volume is unrestricted while a continuation film is restricted, which points to an underlying issue that needs to be resolved. The most likely outcome, once that issue is identified, is that the collection will be made uniformly accessible or uniformly restricted.
I’m sorry that I can’t provide a more detailed update. In defense of our Rights Management team, they are working as fast as they can with limited resources and a heavy workload. Your patience is appreciated.
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